South Korea Travel Tips

We spent the back half of our trip Japan/Korea trip in Seoul, Busan, and near the Air Force base where our friend lived. We were thankful to have friends who understood how to navigate and travel in South Korea since they don’t use Google Maps. Our friends planned the South Korea part of our trip, so I did not do too much planning, but wanted to share the key takeaways and favorite activities from the trip! 

South Korea Travel Tips

• Navigation is best used through the Korean app, Naver. They do not use Google Maps, so even if you see some activities on Google, it’s best to use the local maps to avoid confusion. You can use translate for the Korean app

• South Korea is very safe! Partly because they have this system called CCTV, which involves video cameras throughout the country on street corners, in bars, and seemingly everywhere except personalized homes. When I first learned of this, it made me nervous about how strict the country was. However, I felt very comfortable in South Korea and didn’t feel limited in activities or how I behaved at all. It actually brings comfort knowing that crime was so low in some of the biggest cities in the world due to the country’s enforcement of zero tolerance of violence. 

• Public transportation is probably your best option. Like Japan, we struggled with communicating destinations to taxi drivers in South Korea. Especially because we just used coordinates on the Naver app since we didn’t know Korean. We somehow managed to get by each time but it seemed like more effort to explain to the taxi driver where to go than it would’ve been to just navigate the public transportation. 

Top Activities in South Korea:

• DMZ Tour - Probably my favorite part of visiting South Korea was the DMZ tour. I’m not someone who’s typically invested in history and current politics but the tour was so incredibly interesting and I learned so much. It was a clear day so we even got to see into North Korea and could see people farming. Parts of the tour were definitely emotional but it really taught me a lot about Korean history and also gave some insight into current events. I highly recommend this tour when you visit South Korea,

  
  

• Sailing in Busan -  A last-minute tour we booked through Airbnb where we were 4 of 6 people on this massive catamaran sailing around the harbor in Busan. If you have time, it’s totally worth it, especially since it was less than $30 USD each. Water and juices were included.  

  
  

• Hike in Busan - This hike along the coast was so beautiful. I wore jeans and instantly regretted it because it was slightly more challenging than expected but I think if I was in actual hiking clothes I would’ve been fine. This would be a top recommendation of mine for visiting Busan. The coordinates for the hike are: *** It was shared with us only by coordinates so I unfortunately do not have a name for it. 

  
  

• Temple Tour in Busan - This temple along the water was so peaceful and very beautiful. This allowed us to appreciate the culture, religion, and views in South Korea. Pictures don’t do it justice. We didn’t pay for a tour but they do have tours available. 

  
  

• Street Market in Busan - For the adventurous eaters out there, take a stroll down the street market in Busan. The seafood options to eat will either excite you or make you want to watch from afar. It’s not a big seafood market but it’s worth taking a stroll through.

  
  

• Enjoy The Instagram Photo Opportunities- I learned how much South Koreans love taking photos - which explained why they had so many photo stores that were photo booths to cute social media pics. While that is not really my personal favorite way to spend time, I did love that every cafe, coffee, and food display was so aesthetically pleasing. When you go into certain restaurants you can’t help but have your phone out taking pictures of all the cute decor, food, and drinks.  

  
  

• Visit Cafes in Seoul - everywhere in South Korea has cute cafes but especially Seoul. Themed cafes were very popular, some not as animal friendly if that upsets you. We went to a fish cafe and unknowingly showed up at a basement cafe that had fishing mega fishes out of a small shallow pond for prizes as the main activity. There was also the cat and sheep cafe. If you are concerned with the use of animals in cafes, they still have many other themed cafes like one of my favorites, The Rain Cafe.  It was super cozy and even had water coming down outside the windows to look like it was raining outside. A lot of the cafes have good coffee and cocktails. Of course, the display of the pastries and drinks is always superb! 

  
  

• Eat Salt bread -  specifically @ Mr. Chun’s This salt bread bakery is extremely popular and typically always has a line. It’s in a really cute area of Seoul with a good orange juice and coffee shop next door. Mr. Chun’s is located in this cute shopping area with narrow streets and tons of cute, aesthetically pleasing cafes around. 

  
  

• Beauty Tour or Spa Treatment - Our guide for our DMZ tour also did beauty tours about all the beauty products and stores in Seoul. Prior to visiting, I had no idea how big into beauty products and plastic surgery the country is. Personally, I am not as interested in those types of things but if it is something that interests you, check all the different tours. I did however get my nails done and go to Spa World in Busan. I did not have time for a Korean scrub and massage but hope I can fit that in next time I go back!

I asked my friend who lived in South Korea for a year to share his top takeaways from the country! They are currently deep in their wedding planning but promised to share some top tips once they've tied the knot.

• Tips from Christian & Helen .... (Coming Soon)

For more information regarding Japan travel or to learn about other destinations, visit my website. 

You can also contact me through my website with questions or requests for personalized itineraries.

I hope you enjoy traveling around South Korea & Japan!